


Orbit (How to Make Friends and Oh God Are You in Love with Me?)

by nodoublemeaning



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Friendship, Gen, Jim is a Little Shit, M/M, Misunderstandings, Narcissism, Pre-Slash, Starfleet Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:27:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22494565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nodoublemeaning/pseuds/nodoublemeaning
Summary: Jim observed Bones as the latter finally found the dermal regenerator and fished it out with annoyance. As he began tuning its settings, Bones muttered under his breath about a damned fool with daddy issues and a penchant for getting into fights faster than he could finish his whiskey.“I can hear you,” Jim said, amused. Bones looked up from the regenerator for a second, just to raise an unimpressed eyebrow, before returning his focus onto the instrument.In which Jim doesn't understand why McCoy would put up with him if there wasn't something for him to gain in return.
Relationships: James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy, James T. Kirk/Leonard "Bones" McCoy
Comments: 4
Kudos: 85





	Orbit (How to Make Friends and Oh God Are You in Love with Me?)

So the thing is: Jim is really suspicious.

He’s really, really suspicious about Bones.

He could understand people being friendly because they wanted to get into his pants; he could understand people sucking up to him because they wanted in on his reputation; he could understand people yelling at him because they didn’t want him around.

But he can’t understand Bones. Why Leonard Horatio McCoy decided to be so damned nice to him, Jim did _not_ know.

It wasn’t like he hid it well, too - sure, he was grouchy all the time and rolled his eyes whenever Jim dragged him to a bar crawl that always ended up with him getting into a fight and Bones patching him up, but Bones never declined. Bones never told him to stop pestering him.

And that bothered Jim.

There had to be _something_ he wanted, to be able to stand being so close to him. To want to spend time with Jim without getting anything in return?

No.

There was clearly a motive here, and he needed to find it.

* * *

“Alright, kid. Take off your shirt.”

“That’s very forward of you, Bones,” Jim looked up at him from under his lashes, blinking coquettishly. Bones continued to rifle through his medical kit, seemingly unaffected by Jim’s seductive display.

Jim observed Bones as the latter finally found the dermal regenerator and fished it out with annoyance. As he began tuning its settings, Bones muttered under his breath about a damned fool with daddy issues and a penchant for getting into fights faster than he could finish his whiskey.

“I can hear you,” Jim said, amused. Bones looked up from the regenerator for a second, just to raise an unimpressed eyebrow, before returning his focus onto the instrument.

“If you can hear me fine, I wouldn’t have to repeat myself,” Bones replied haughtily. “Take off your damned shirt, Jim Kirk. You want to continue feeling like this tomorrow?”

“Aw, shucks. I’m shy!” Jim waggled his eyebrows at Bones suggestively. He regretted it immediately, wincing at the fresh bout of pain emanating from his nose. He heard a snort, and saw Bones shaking his head.

“Jim. Shirt. Off.”

“Fine, fine.” Jim shrugged off his shirt, wincing at the large purple bruise settling in at home on his chest. Bones prodded at it with unforgiving fingers, assessing the damage.

“Ow!”

“Don’t be an infant. You’re lucky it’s only a bruise,” Bones grouched. “Now sit still.”

There was a brief lull in conversation while Bones ran the dermal regenerator over his chest, the violent colors fading away. Once it looked like it was gone, Jim poked himself where the bruise used to be. Nothing. He sighed in relief, letting out the breath he didn’t realize he was holding in.

Bones moved the dermal regenerator to Jim’s face, scrutinizing his nose carefully. Jim studied Bones’s laser focus, gaze fixed on his wound while the tool knitted his skin back together.

“All right, should be good enough for now. Just don’t get into any fights again for the next couple of days,” Bones continued, wryly. “I’m sure that wouldn’t be _too_ much of a challenge even for you.”

Jim hummed noncommittally. “Can’t make any promises.”

Bones rolled his eyes and put back the dermal regenerator back into his kit. He glanced at Jim’s chest where the bruise was moments earlier.

“You’re not hurt anywhere else?”

Bones’s eyes flickered with medical precision over his torso, but for a second his gaze wandered lower, a pink tinge forming over his ears.

Huh. 

So that was it.

Jim understood perfectly now. Bones wanted him. He felt vindicated - he’d figured out the riddle that was Doctor McCoy. But... he couldn’t help feeling a little betrayed. Why hadn’t Bones just come forward with this from the very beginning? Jim wouldn’t have batted an eye.

Well. There was only one thing left to do.

Jim stood up abruptly from his perch on the bed, using his body to crowd the doctor to the wall. Bones took a step back, unsettled at Jim’s sudden close proximity. Jim trapped him against the wall, hands bracketing Bones’s broad shoulders.

“What in the world…?” Bones took a small flashlight out of his pocket and turned it on, flashing it in Jim’s eyes. “Did that fight knock your brains around harder than I thought it did?”

Jim swatted away the flashlight, knocking it to the floor. Bones spluttered in indignation, stunned by Jim’s actions. “Hey!”

“You can drop the act, Bones.” 

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? You didn’t have to pretend, y’know.”

Bones tried to push him away but he held on tight, refusing to budge until he had the truth out of him. “I know, Bones. I’ve seen the way you watch me. You want me, don’t you?” 

“ _That’s_ all you can think about right now?” Bones grumbled. “I wanted to see if you had any other injuries, you infant!”

“Are you in love with me?” Jim pressed on, ignoring his outburst. “Is that why you’ve been so nice? You can act all you want, but you’re not going to fool me.”

“Not going to- for God’s sake, Jim.” Bones huffed out a frustrated sigh, furrowing his brows.

Jim continued, face now inches away from Bones’s own. “What do you want from me? Huh, Bones?”

“I want you to get the hell off of me, goddammit!”

Jim felt the punch before he saw it, Bones’s fist connecting to Jim’s jaw with a solid crack. The next moment, he was on the floor, clutching at his face for the second time that night.

“Unbelievable.”

Shoes squeaked across the floor as Bones bent to pick up the flashlight he dropped. “Now, I don’t know what in the hell prompted you to do that,” Bones growled. “But what the _fuck_ , Jim.”

“I… I thought you liked me?” Jim asked, cradling his sore face gingerly. Ouch, that really fucking hurt.

“Sure, I like you. Sometimes. As a FRIEND.” Bones rubbed his sore knuckles with his right hand, scowling down at Jim. 

Oh.

Jim felt his cheeks burn, absently noting the blood dripping down from his nose. He tried to staunch the flow with the back of his hand, but only succeeded in spreading it further over his face.

Bones rolled his eyes, stretching a hand out towards him. “Come on up, so I can fix your face again.”

Jim took Bones’s hand automatically, staggering upright. “…But I just…”

“I know. I’m a saint, putting up with your big-headed foolishness.” Bones sighed and turned back to open up his medical kit. Again.

“Bones-”

“Jim. Let me just say that I have absolutely no romantic feelings for you whatsoever. Like I said, you’re my friend.” Bones looked at him wearily, as though he wasn’t sure Jim might jump him again.

“Yeah? Yeah.” He cleared his throat, unsure as to whether he should apologize. He should, shouldn’t he? “Sorry, Bones.” Jim scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. Bones looked just as uncomfortable as he did.

Yikes, this was getting to be way more awkward that he’d imagined.

“Well _phew_ , am I glad we’re on the same page!” Jim forced a grin, wanting to change the mood of the room. He pointedly ignored that weirdly tight feeling in his chest. “I’m relieved that you only think of me as a friend,” he added. “Anything else would have been totally weird!”

“Uh huh.” Bones replied dryly, eyes a flat stare. Good. Bones’s surly attitude was starting to come back.

“Y’know, for someone who’s under oath to the whole ‘first, do no harm’ thing, you sure hit me harder than that guy at the bar.”

Bones’s eyebrows did that wriggly thing they did when he wasn’t sure whether to smile or to scowl. “You deserved it, kid.” A chuckle escaped his lips, then erupted into full-blown laughter. Jim watched fondly as the weirdly tight feeling in his chest turned into something warmer - and felt right at home, next to Bones.

**Author's Note:**

> So back in 2018, I was looking at this Korean Jim/Bones fanart on Twitter about Jim being unable to comprehend the kind of friendship he had with Bones at first because he never had a friend like him to compare it to. I know it's _kinda_ ooc because surely Jim would understand the concept of *friendship* but the idea wouldn't leave me alone so I had to write it down. Unfortunately I don't remember what the art looked like or even who drew it, but the idea of it left such a lasting impression on me. The Power of Artists, folks!
> 
> (Also, the aftermath: Jim realizes that actually, _he's_ the one in love with Bones and cue angst because oh wait, Bones only sees him as a friend and even punched him for insinuating otherwise. SLOW BURN and MISUNDERSTANDINGS abound! Jim wrestles with this for a couple of years until finally he gets the guts to ask Bones out for real. Bones can't believe it's taken this long for Jim to own up to his feelings but of course he says yes and they live happily ever after. The end.)
> 
> Feel free to reach out at nodoublemeaning @ Twitter, I'd love to make some more fandom friends! :)


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